Gross enrolment ratio, primary and secondary, female in South Africa

South Africa: Gross enrolment ratio, primary and secondary, female was 99.5% in 2018. ▲ Rising

Latest (2018)
99.5%
Change on year
down 3.5%
World rank
86th
of 193 countries
All-time high
105.7%
in 2016
All-time low
92.1%
in 1989
Years of data
24
1989–2018

Gross enrolment ratio, primary and secondary, female in South Africa, 1989–2018

02550751001989200320181989: 92.1 %1990: 93.5 %1991: 95.5 %1994: 100.2 %1998: 101 %1999: 99.5 %2000: 93.7 %2001: 94.4 %2002: 95.5 %2003: 96.5 %2004: 98 %2005: 98.2 %2006: 99.7 %2007: 101.4 %2008: 100.3 %2009: 100.4 %2010: 100.1 %2011: 100.3 %2012: 101.3 %2014: 105.6 %2015: 104.7 %2016: 105.7 %2017: 103 %2018: 99.5 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

The most recent figure for gross enrolment ratio, primary and secondary, female in South Africa is 99.5%, measured in 2018.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 3.5% on the previous year and down 0.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, gross enrolment ratio, primary and secondary, female in South Africa peaked at 105.7% in 2016 and was at its lowest, 92.1%, in 1989.

South Africa ranks 86th of 193 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 24 years of available data.

Gross enrolment ratio, primary and secondary, female in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Gross enrolment ratio, primary and secondary, female (%) in South Africa, 1989 to 2018.
Year % Change
1989 92.1%
1990 93.5% +1.5%
1991 95.5% +2.2%
1994 100.2% +4.9%
1998 101.0% +0.8%
1999 99.5% -1.5%
2000 93.7% -5.9%
2001 94.4% +0.8%
2002 95.5% +1.2%
2003 96.5% +1.0%
2004 98.0% +1.6%
2005 98.2% +0.2%
2006 99.7% +1.5%
2007 101.4% +1.7%
2008 100.3% -1.0%
2009 100.4% +0.1%
2010 100.1% -0.4%
2011 100.3% +0.2%
2012 101.3% +1.0%
2014 105.6% +4.3%
2015 104.7% -0.9%
2016 105.7% +1.0%
2017 103.0% -2.5%
2018 99.5% -3.5%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 92.1% 92.1% 92.1% 1
1990s 98.0% 93.5% 101.0% 5
2000s 97.8% 93.7% 101.4% 10
2010s 102.5% 99.5% 105.7% 8

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 83 Austria 99.7% compare
  2. 84 Albania 99.7% compare
  3. 85 Bahrain 99.5% compare
  4. 87 Mauritius 99.3% compare
  5. 88 Cyprus 99.2% compare
  6. 89 Republic of Korea 98.8% compare

See the full ranking of 238 places →

More education data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is gross enrolment ratio, primary and secondary, female in South Africa?
Gross enrolment ratio, primary and secondary, female in South Africa was 99.5% in 2018, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest gross enrolment ratio, primary and secondary, female recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 105.7% in 2016.
What is the lowest gross enrolment ratio, primary and secondary, female recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 92.1% in 1989.
How does South Africa rank for gross enrolment ratio, primary and secondary, female?
South Africa ranks 86th out of 193 countries with data for 2018.
Is gross enrolment ratio, primary and secondary, female rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is down 0.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this South Africa data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Gross enrolment ratio, primary and secondary, female (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Gross enrolment ratio, primary and secondary, female in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 07 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/gross-enrolment-ratio-primary-and-secondary-female-percent/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Gross enrolment ratio, primary and secondary, female (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
238 places, 7,794 data points, 1970–2020
Last refreshed

Total female enrollment in primary and secondary education, regardless of age, expressed as a percentage of the total female population of official primary and secondary education age. GER can exceed 100% due to the inclusion of over-aged and under-aged students because of early or late school entrance and grade repetition.